Apply with Confidence
Apply with Confidence
What I Do
I help students navigate the college application process with less stress and more confidence. Through personalized guidance, structured timelines, and essay support, I help students present their strongest, most authentic selves.
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Experience working as an Admissions Officer at a top -25 university
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Experience evaluating thousands of first year and transfer applications
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Experience in the high school classroom, teaching writing and narrative craft
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Student‑centered approach
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Clear communication with parents
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Organized systems and timelines
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Encouraging, supportive guidance
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Flexible scheduling
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Ethical, transparent advising
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The Essay Writing Process
For students only looking for help with the Common App Personal Statement, aka “the essay”, we will get to know each other, and I will guide you in brainstorming ideas and crafting an essay that will let your personality and authenticity shine through. I will provide feedback that will allow you to revise and polish your essay, talk to you about how to *not to use A.I. in your essay, and then have a final session to make sure you are happy with what you’ve written and prep it for submission.
The Process of Strategy & Application Guidance
I guide you through the process, helping you create a cohesive and cogent story in your application. For students and families interested in a comprehensive advising experience, I break the process down into simple steps. We meet, get to know each other, talk about classes, activities, interests and goals. Then we will start forming a list of colleges that are safety schools, targets and reaches. I walk you through an essay strategy to help you discover your own voice and authenticity. We’ll talk about your activities list and what makes you stand out. And we will stay on task with deadlines and schedules, making sure you’ve submitted what you need, including letters of recommendation, test scores and application materials.
How we work together
Individual Support
Package #4
Hourly one-on-one consultations to address any other concerns and provide personalized feedback on your application materials: Anything from essay revisions to college list building or course selection. This could also include early college planning for 8th graders through 11th graders.
Junior Year Strategy Package
Beginning in your Junior Year, a strategic planning package that will help with academic & course planning for 11th-12th grades, an activities strategy and evaluation, summer planning, early college list exploration and some early brainstorming activities to position you for applying in your Senior Year.
Package #1
The Secrets of College Admissions
Your application process does not need to be as stressful and unsettling as many Instagram influencers and pre-college programs make it out to be. There aren’t as many secrets or ‘codes to crack’ in college admissions as they would have you believe. In fact, it is often more straight-forward than it would seem: be an exceptional student, be exceptional and passionate in your extracurricular activities, demonstrate sustained excellence in academics in the most rigorous classes available, get into top-tier programs. Colleges want actively engaged students and students who will contribute to and perform well at their schools. They want their students to succeed. And context matters.
There it is: High performing students who demonstrate ambition and are exceptional get into more competitive schools. Therefore, in some sense, college admissions are not so mysterious.
But the goal posts have certainly moved. A 4.0 GPA and membership in a few school clubs may not translate to a wave of acceptances as it did a generation ago. The current admissions climate does require some knowledge, data and research, and some willingness to throw out preconceptions of the college process from 20 or 30 years ago. There are many kinds of colleges that offer many amazing opportunities to prepare students for fulfilling lives and careers. For more competitive schools, applicants need to do more than rely on their stats. They need to tell their stories, build narratives about who they are, and let their enthusiasm shine through.
For many families, there is still a lot to discover in today's world of college admissions.
That’s where I come in with guidance, counseling, and a system to help you through the application process. I can give you tools to make the application process smoother, guide you on what to focus on, and show you some strategies that will let your natural abilities and your skills shine through.
Choose Your Level of Guidance
Some students have the application down. They feel equipped to showcase their strengths, can rely on the academic work they’ve done in high school, and may only need a touch here or there, or perhaps some essay help to help them discover their voice and tell their story.
Some families don’t know what they don’t know. Maybe they don’t have experience with the American college system; maybe they didn’t apply to college themselves; or maybe they feel their knowledge of the current system is outdated and would like to learn about the entire process. Maybe the student simply needs someone (other than a parent) to impress upon them the importance of academics and solid performance. To encourage them to showcase themselves so that they have options down the road.
Perhaps students would like someone to guide them with schedules to keep them on track, help them develop a list of schools that may be good matches, or want advice on what courses to take or what activities they might enjoy. They may need the process demystified and someone to support them during the months leading up to application deadlines. I can help with all of these.
Why Lantern Light?
After years reading thousands of applications for a highly selective, top-25 university, I've seen what the application process can do to families and students. I started Lantern Light to guide families away from the stress and anxiety and toward the excitement and clarity that comes with knowing more about the process, about a student's college fit, and about today's admissions landscape. Applying to college can be such an exciting time. A time where all the hard work gets celebrated and the possibilities seems endless. It's a moment to bask in your glory a little! But it's also important to communicate those accomplishments to colleges. I've learned that students often need some help discovering and showcasing their gifts and passions. That's what I'm here for.
Lantern Light Counseling Packages
Fill out an interest form HERE to learn more about pricing for individual packages.